Launching shuttles

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 5:32 pm

A clarification, please.

There isn't any limitation on the speed of a ship launching a shuttle, is there?

I looked in (5H) under Shuttlecraft and there was nothing there about it except to say that shuttles are launched during the launch phase of an impulse and that they travel at a speed of 8.

Then I looked in (2D5) under Docking, Landing and there was nothing there about shuttle launches.

I've always assumed that a shuttle could be launched from a ship moving at any speed. Is this correct?

Scoutdad · Post by **Scoutdad** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 5:58 pm

That's the way we've always played it... no restrictions on ship speed.

mjwest · Post by **mjwest** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 6:29 pm

Yes, a shuttle is assumed to be launched moving at its proscribed base speed (8 for a shuttle; 16 for a fighter).

USS Enterprise · Post by **USS Enterprise** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 7:22 pm

THere are no fighters in FC are there?

mjwest · Post by **mjwest** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 7:25 pm

USS Enterprise wrote:THere are no fighters in FC are there?

Hydran Stingers are fighters.

Bolo_MK_XL · Post by **Bolo_MK_XL** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 8:49 pm

Guess we could designate Stingers as Armed Shuttles ---

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 11:58 pm

Okay. Just to clarify...

Shuttle can be launched by ships moving at any speed.

When a shuttle is launched it moves at a speed of 8 (fighters move at speed 16).

Scoutdad · Post by **Scoutdad** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 12:24 am

Mike wrote:Okay. Just to clarify...

Shuttle can be launched by ships moving at any speed.

When a shuttle is launched it moves at a speed of 8 (fighters move at speed 16).

Yes... that is correct.

USS Enterprise · Post by **USS Enterprise** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 1:00 am

True.

mjwest · Post by **mjwest** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 3:00 am

Mike wrote:Okay. Just to clarify...

Shuttle can be launched by ships moving at any speed.

When a shuttle is launched it moves at a speed of 8 (fighters move at speed 16).

My bad. Misread the question.

As 'dad said, yes, you may launch shuttles regardless of the speed of the launching ship.

Note, however, that there are limits on the speed of the ship when you are trying to land shuttles.

Hod K'el · Post by **Hod K'el** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 7:21 pm

Bolo_MK_XL wrote:Guess we could designate Stingers as Armed Shuttles ---

Oh, HE double sticks NO! Think about this before saying something like this...you are opening up a whole new chapter and forcing FedCom to become SFB... No more rant; just think about it.

pmiller13 · Post by **pmiller13** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 9:24 pm

Hod K'el wrote: Oh, HE double sticks NO! Think about this before saying something like this...you are opening up a whole new chapter and forcing FedCom to become SFB... No more rant; just think about it.

Hod K'el I have to disagree with you. Just adding fighters for the hydrans or even some simple fighters for the other races (in BoM) is not going to turn FC into SFB. SVC has been very good about not allowing rule bloat. By putting the extra rules for scouts, fighters etc. into a separate product he is isolating FC from those rules. If someone just wants to play FC (even in pick up games) everyone will know he just means FC. If, however, someone tells you they want to play FC and try some of the stuff from BoM you will know what you are getting into.

Besides IMO the fighter rules in SFB were pretty simple and the fighters were not over the top powerful. PF's are a totally different story. I like what I have read so far about fighters in FC, they are simple (look how the stingers were simplified and reduced in power) and even if they are published in BoM they are going to be kept to just 1 or 2 types for each race at maximum (a great idea IMO).

USS Enterprise · Post by **USS Enterprise** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 9:33 pm

I think caution is the best thing. I think the design team should be very careful about rule creep (Something they've done) But a few rules like fighters, X-ships, exc, will not make the game SFB as long as they're simple. The necessity of these elements or evn the value is another debate, but my point is simplt that it won't become SFB.